The Next Big Skin Care Trend: CC Creams

This is the trend that's about to dethrone the BB cream. Here's what you need to know about the new CC creams

The biggest beauty product trend I can remember in my eight-plus-year career (and many more makeup-obsessed years prior to becoming a beauty editor) is BB creams. Just about every beauty company in the world spent the last 12 months formulating and then launching one of these tinted multi-taskers otherwise known as "beauty balms."

Then, a few months ago, I started hearing whispers among big players in the beauty biz about another hot skin care trend coming out of Asia -- a cream that would do the BB one better. The obvious name for such a product? The CC cream.

But CC isn't just an arbitrary name cooked up by a beauty executive with a preschooler at home. CC stands for "color correcting," because that's exactly what it's designed to do: even and brighten the color of your complexion. (Of course, that's the primary function of BB creams as well. But I digress.)

While the CC cream phenomenon is still in its infancy, Olay won the metaphorical race and launched the first one in the United States this October. And I think it's safe to assume that many companies will be following suit and coming out with their own CC creams in 2013.

After trying just about every BB cream available, I spent the last few weeks playing with the new Olay Color Correcting cream and as many of the best CC creams from Asia that I could get my hands on. And I'm breaking down the noticeable differences between BB creams and CC creams -- they're subtle, but they're there. Here's what you need to know to be a step ahead of the CC cream trend. You know, before a DD cream comes out.

I use physicians formula color correcting mineral powder and a toner over the top like Better Botanicals Juniper Toner to make the power lay flat like a cream. A non-toxic alternative that won't clog your pores or make your bare skin look worse.

This was an informative post! I'm excited to try the CC creams but find it frustrating you can't get "free samples" anywhere, it seems. Since you're paying a good amount for the product, you would think the beauty and skin companies would be generous with samples.

i love bb creams im not too sure that cc cream will be all that great for me, they seem like they will clog my pores. I like that bb creams are lighter but ill give it a try anyways! ill probably be going for the olay cc cream